2011 Hanami

 

 

While rain delayed our annual Hanami party by a day, the pleasant weather and full bloom of the sakura in Sunpu park was well worth the wait.  As you can see we had a good turn out with some members attending as well as old friends coming by to say ‘Hi’.
And despite the tragedy and stress of recent events, lots of other families and friends were out in the park enjoying the weather and fleeting wistfulness of the cherry blossoms.

Sakura bloom amongst a mix of new and old

 

The park was full of sakura and people

Traditional libations were consumed

Making some Sense...

By Joe

Ever since reading the news about Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, I have despaired at the confusing way radiation has been represented in the media.  I thought I’d try to make things a little clearer for us all so that we can understand for ourselves what the risks are.  We are constantly exposed to sources of radiation in our daily lives from the earth, our food and even the air we breathe but what is dangerous for us and what have we seen so far from Fukushima?

Let’s start with some basics.  There are two basic types of radiation, non-ionising, such as electromagnetic radiation, and ionising which comes from a radioactive decay process and changes the electrical charge of atoms.  This ionising radiation comes from a range of particles which are released during nuclear fission and have a high enough energy to ionise with other atoms.  The various types have different uses and dangers associated with their emissions.

Alpha particles are the same as a helium atom nucleus but without the electrons.  These are emitted along with a lot of energy in a fission process where a radioactive element such as uranium breaks down.  Some uses of these particles are in power generation and, closer to home, in smoke detectors.  This type of radiation is readily absorbed by the air around it and so doesn’t pose any threat by proximity.  However if you manage to ingest some then it can cause problems.

Beta particles are electrons which also come from a fission process.  This is typically what we have heard about coming from Fukushima from the elements Iodine 131 and Caesium 134.  They can be absorbed with a few centimetres of metal.

Neutrons with a high enough energy can ionise atoms and can penetrate many materials.  They are absorbed in hydrogen rich materials which is why we have seen a lot of news about water being needed to cool the reactors.  We also use this form of radiation in many medical and industrial applications.

X-Rays are electromagnetic waves at a high enough energy to cause ionisation and are often absorbed by heavier elements such as calcium.  This allows for their practical application in medicine.

Gamma radiation consists of photons which are released to balance the excess energy of a decay process.  This type of radiation requires a thick wall of heavy atoms to absorb it, hence the need for massive concrete structures at nuclear power plants.

Next month I will continue with more information about the measuring of radiation and how we have been affected by it in our daily lives.

But if you need more information right now then I suggest you look at some of these websites:

www.mext.go.jp             The Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology have been recording levels of radiation around the country.

www.xkcd.com/radiation           A useful picture to show radiation doses from various sources around the world.

Wikipedia            So much information but not all of it easy to understand.

 

Upcoming Events...

 

Golden Week!!
With a really long GW holiday this year let’s get out there and support the economy.  Whether near or far, go out and enjoy Japan...then write about your adventures in next month’s newsletter!

 
Thanks to … Joe and Zuri (for the group picture) for contributing to this month’s information extravaganza. 

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